Serving for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission

Monday, January 9, 2012

Buenos Dias from Buenos Aires!

Good morning Family! How are you all?! Wow your week sounded depressing, but I´m so excited for you guys to be moving forward in this process. I can´t even tell you how amazed and grateful I am for our family! There is nothing to describe the blessing that you all are as I read and am instructed because of you examples. I hope that our Heavenly Father will bless and support you all with ALL of His love and peace as you continue to take the steps to follow our Savior. I know that He is able to do many things as we wait on Him. Speaking of which, that has been a golden topic for everyone this past week. Every email I read! This has been a difficult thing for me to overcome the past week... I continue to push myself because of my desires and because of what I want to become. Because of that I feel like my progress has been put on hold as a missionary. It has been really lonely as I realize that I am pushing myself away from the only one who can help me! When we come to depend on someone, sometimes we take advantage of that person. This has definitely been my case. Getting back to that point is life or death right now for me. As a companionship we are learning so much and have SO much to come that will allow us to bless others so I´m taking seriously how much the Savior is needed in this process.

This week we worked with a lot of new investigators that we have found and it has been great to begin to help them progress in the Gospel. We met with a couple that are AMAZING their names are René and Elaina. They are both looking to be baptized (..hmm we might be able to help?), but are really serious in searching every option. We had an amazing first lesson with them about the prophet Joseph Smith and his humble search for truth. They LOVED it, but when we went back a couple days later we found a different answer than what we were thinking. Elaina said that she had been "sick" that week because of wanting to know so when Saturday came she decided to attend her old church and she told us that it was "like coming home! Everything felt right." NOO! Not at all what we taught, so that was a bit frustrating but allowed us to give a great lesson on the Book of Mormon. Throughout my time on my mission I have been really trying to study and gain a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon and really have come to realize how much of an influence that it was in my time before my mission. Never can I remember any HUGE experiences with it, but I can think back to every difficult time that I went through and as I began to read the Book of Mormon again, somehow things would start to click again. My camino (can´t think of the ingles word) was turned back towards our Savior. Doesn´t matter what it was, friends, school, or anything in between. The Book of Mormon has a power within its pages to change the course of one's life. That has been something that we have been focusing on giving to people, the NEED to read the book of Mormon. So with René and Elaina I am excited to see (tomorrow) what is new in their search for the truth!

This week was exactly the opposite as last week. FLEW BY! But I will share an amazing experience we had yesterday. We have a recent convert named Francisco (fun name to say... name that movie :) ha) anyway.. He and his family live in the absolute campo of Argentina with practically nothing to live with. Their house is made of wood and nearly uproots in a storm. Our Bishop pulled me aside after the reunion and asked us to go by and ask about the condition of the family. He was concerned they were without food. Turns out that he was right. They had nothing to feed them and their 4 little kids. Heartbreaking/humbling experience. He does have one of the strongest testimonies of our Savior and continues to show remarkable faith and desire to give everything he has to others. He told me that he doesn´t do anything to help. I realized though how much he had done for me with nothing but a simple testimony and a burning desire to do good for others. What a testimony! I assured him that even though he can´t do much work with his hands that he had done wonders for me. Our Savior, to my knowledge, never spent His days with a hammer and nails building secure places for others to live, but He through His example gave them security and protection in "the mansions that His father has prepared." From him I know that the power of kind words and living our testimonies does more than any sweating service project could do! These people have nothing but to their Savior and others they are willing to give everything. Their example is amazing! I am grateful to my Savior who desires to help through His Atonement have and do give me strength. We are sometimes far away from Him, if we read the Book of Mormon and have but a desire to be better and try our best to act on that we will again find security in His love.

I love you all. I think about how incredible this time is in our lives and how amazing you all work in order to follow our Savior. Thank you!

Visitors

Contact Information

The following address may be used to mail letters or packages to Brayden:

brayden.jolley@myldsmail.net

Pouch Mail Instructions: To prevent possible fines, only postcards and letters that are single sheet, folded into three-panels, and taped at the top only (no envelopes) may be sent through the pouch. Packages cannot be sent through pouch mail.

What I Believe

Missionary Links

Alma 26:35-36

35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all apower, ball wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a cmerciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

36 Now if this is aboasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a bbranch of the tree of Israel, and has been clost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, dwanderers in a strange land.